Latex derived from Ficus carica L. inhibited the growth of NSCLC by regulating the caspase/gasdermin/AKT signaling pathway.

Previous studies reported the latex from the fruit of Ficus carica L. (fig) has anti-tumor and antioxidant activities in animal models. However, its active constituents, mechanism of action, and safety remain unknown. The alcohol-precipitated fraction of fig fruit latex (AFFL) was purified and prepared for testing against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). UPLC-TOF-MS/MS was used to examined the components of AFFL. We validated efficacy by researching antitumor phenotypes in vitro and constructing subcutaneous grafts of nude mice with NSCLC, as well as showing the underlying mechanism at the protein level. The results showed that 11 components of AFFL were screened. AFFL significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and clonogenesis of NSCLC cells, promoted cell apoptosis, inhibited tumor growth in A549 xenograft mice, but induced no obvious damage to normal mouse tissues (liver or kidney). Molecular mechanism studies revealed that AFFL could increase Caspase-1 expression in cancer cells by activating the cleavage of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, inhibiting the activity of Bcl-2, and promoting tumor cell apoptosis. These processes cause gasdermin proteins (GSDMD and GSDME) to be cleaved, releasing N-terminal domain proteins to accumulate and perforate the cell membrane, and promoting tumor cell pyroptosis. In conclusion, our findings suggested that AFFL may promote tumor cell apoptosis and pyroptosis via the Caspase/Gasdermin/AKT signaling pathway and inhibit NSCLC growth in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating that fig latex can be developed as a functional food and drug with anti-NSCLC properties.

Effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on walking of stroke patients at recovery stage / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on walking function of stroke patients at recovery stage. MethodsFrom January, 2021 to January, 2022, 60 stroke inpatients at recovery stage from Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were randomly divided into group A (n = 20), group B (n = 20) and group C (n = 20). All the groups accepted conventional rehabilitation therapy and lower limb robot-assisted training, while group B accepted pseudo-rTMS, and group C accepted high-frequency rTMS, for four weeks. They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremities (FMA-LE), Timed 'Up and Go' Test (TUGT) and gait analysis before and after treatment. ResultsThe score of FMA-LE, TUGT, pace, stride width, stride, double support phase time, affected side support phase time, affected side swing phase time, healthy side support phase time and healthy side swing phase time improved after treatment in all the groups (|t| > 5.990, P < 0.001), and all the indexes improved the most in group C (F > 3.210, P < 0.05), except double support phase time. ConclusionHigh-frequency rTMS could facilitate the recovery of lower limb function and walking of stroke patients at recovery stage.

Analysis of the efficacy of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in high-risk neuroblastoma.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for high-risk neuroblastoma in China. Methods: The data of 90 high-risk neuroblastoma patients treated with the CCCG-NB 2015 regimen were reviewed. The baseline clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis were analyzed and compared. In addition, the prognoses of tandem autologous stem cell transplantation and single autologous stem cell transplantation groups were compared. Results: The results of survival analysis showed that autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation based on this pretreatment regimen significantly improved the prognosis of children in the high-risk group. The 3-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates for the transplantation group and the nontransplantation group were 65.5% vs. 41.3% (p=0.023) and 77.1% vs. 57.9% (p=0.03), respectively. There was no difference in the distribution of baseline clinical case characteristics between the single transplantation group and the tandem transplantation group (p>0.05), and there was no significant difference in EFS and OS between the two groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Based on this pretreatment programme, autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is safe and tolerable and significantly improves the prognosis of children in the high-risk group. The value of tandem autologous stem cell transplantation is worthy of further discussion, which should consider various aspects such as the transplantation medication regimen and the patient's state.

Intestinal flora and ischemic stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

The brain-gut axis is an important pathway for the interaction between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. Ischemic stroke can promote the imbalance and displacement of intestinal flora, and the intestinal flora and its metabolites in turn can affect the occurrence, development and outcome of ischemic stroke. This article reviews the related literature on ischemic stroke and intestinal flora, in order to review the relationship between the two and related mechanisms, and to prospect the stroke treatment of targeting intestinal flora.

Diagnostic value of intestinal-gas-injection capsule endoscopy for small intestinal diseases / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of capsule endoscopy on the small intestinal mucosa in the state of air insufflation. Methods Patients undergoing capsule endoscopy from November 2011 to April 2012 were divided into the air insufflation intervention group ( n＝14) and routine examination group (n＝13) by random number table method. The detection rate of small bowel disease, the transit time of capsule endoscope in small intestine, the degree of intestinal cleaning and the degree of intestinal lumen expansion were compared between two groups. Results There was no significant difference in total intestinal examination rate [ 85. 71%( 12/14) VS 61. 54%( 8/13),P＝0. 209] or disease detection rate [ 71. 43%(10/14) VS 84. 62%( 11/13), P＞0. 05] between air insufflation intervention group and conventional examination group. The mean procedure time of the air insufflation intervention group was 270. 86 ± 144. 85 min, which was shorter than that of the conventional examination group (325. 15±161. 76 min, P＝0. 369). The overall cleanliness of the air insufflation intervention group was higher than that of the conventional examination group (2. 05±0. 40 VS 1. 75±0. 40,P＝0. 060). The overall degrees of expansion of small intestine lumen were 1. 79 ± 0. 40 and 1. 38 ± 0. 29 scores, respectively ( P ＝ 0. 004 ). Conclusion Capsule endoscopy can significantly improve the degree of intestinal lumen expansion with trend of improving the overall cleanliness of the small intestine, and shortening the working time of the small intestine.

On Key issues of Public Hospitals Reform / 中华医院管理杂志

Public hospital reform pilots have been initiated recently and it is necessary to clarify some key issues. To this end, thispaper touches upon six fundamental issues, discussing the generality and value for the existence of public hospitals, differences between reforms of public hospital and those of state-owned enterprise, the public financing for and regulation on public hospitals, relationship with the private sector, as well as service and function positioning of public hospitals.